Paris (AFP)

The inaugural firing of the Ariane 6 rocket is postponed to the second quarter of 2022 due to technical difficulties, aggravated by the consequences of the Covid-19 crisis, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced on Thursday.

Already postponed once to the second half of 2021, "Ariane 6's maiden flight is now scheduled for the second quarter of 2022," ESA European Space Transport Director Daniel Neuenschwander said in a press briefing .

The decision was taken at the end of a Council of the agency, held Wednesday and Thursday, which also endorsed an inaugural launch of the small Vega-C launcher in June 2021, said the director.

He explained that "the path to the inaugural flights of the two launchers must overcome technical challenges, in a context of reduced productivity" because of the pandemic.

He cited two parts of the program as examples.

On the launcher side, with technical difficulties in the development of the auxiliary power unit (APU), a small multi-role reactor, "on board for the first time in the launcher", and which should make it possible to "penetrate the constellation market of satellites ".

Another example, with the development of the new cryogenic arm which will connect the launcher to the launch tower, in Kourou, until the last moments before takeoff.

"We have technical difficulties and the situation has been further deteriorated by the Covid-19," said Neuenschwander.

In Kourou, the EL-4 firing point worksite was interrupted by health measures before setting off again more slowly.

"We are still today at half of the original workforce" which was 600 people, according to the official.

The pandemic has also had consequences for industrialists in Europe, "with an impact on key stages of the program", citing for example "the impossibility of accessing test benches".

The second pitfall is according to Mr. Neuenschwander that "the industry will enter a very tense period in 2021-2022".

Because the production of Ariane 5 is coming to an end and that of Ariane 6 will start more slowly than expected.

“To the point where it is impacting the industry at a time when the market is very tight, with fierce competition,” he explained.

This is why the ESA, which wants to "ensure a smoothing of production" to cushion the shock among manufacturers, will also ask for an extension of 230 million euros from participating countries, which it "hopes to obtain in the coming months. ", still according to Mr. Neuenschwander.

This sum represents approximately 6% of the current envelope of the program.

© 2020 AFP